BCVB Sits Alone Atop PAC With Wins Over Geneva/Thomas More

Oct. 5 – CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. – In a tri-match that featured the three top teams in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, the Bethany volleyball team came home the big winner of the day, toppling Geneva College (3-0) and Thomas More (3-2) on Saturday afternoon. The three teams came into today with just one game separating them in the PAC standings.

In game one, the Bison swept away the Golden Tornadoes of Geneva, 3-0, taking the contest with set wins over 25-22, 25-23, 25-22.

In the game, Lynsie Mandt had the biggest game for the Bison, collecting 14 kills while making just two errors in 28 attempts (.429). Mackenzie Lauber added eight kills and 25 assists in the contest, while Breana Harris and Dylana McKenzie added seven and six kills, respectively.

On the defensive side, Haley Santymire led all Bison in digs with 11, while Julia Mouch finished the game with 10. Mandt and Kelly Becquet finished with eight digs apiece.

In game two, the Bison took on the Saints of Thomas More and came away with the 3-2 victory (24-26, 25-19, 18-25, 25-23, 15-12. It was in the fourth sets that the tides turned as the Bison were down 2-1 and 20-15 on the scoreboard. The Bison rallied, outscoring the Saints 10-3 over the rest of the game to force a game five. Bethany would then take game five 15-12 to improve to 17-4 on the year.

Mandt was at it again in game two, collecting 17 kills in 41 attempts. McKenzie also had a great game, capturing her career-high with 15 kills in the contest and Harris finished with 12. Lauber added 46 assists in the win.

Defensively, the Bison totaled a season-high, 94 digs in the win, and also added 11.5 blocks. Mouch finished the contest with 19 digs while Santymire added 17. Mandt notched her first double-double of the season, collecting 15 digs to go with her 17 kills.

With the two victories, the Bison have now gone unscathed through the entire first-half of their PAC schedule. The team currently sits at 9-0 in conference, a game ahead of Thomas More and now two games up on Westminster and Geneva.

When asked about her team’s success through the first 21 games of the season, head coach Courtney Kline had this to say:

“It is very difficult to pin point one thing that has brought our success in the PAC thus far this season. This team has had its ups and downs in every statistical category, but our girls find a way out there on the court to work together as a team for their common goal.

“In the scheme of things, no matter how great or poor our stats are, all we have to do is keep the ball from hitting our side of the floor.

“I am extremely pleased with the fearless play from our veterans when the matches get tight, which I believe is greatly contributing to this team's success. While we are thrilled to be where we are right now, we have a long way to go and many improvements to make in the upcoming weeks.”

The Bison will kick-off the second-half of their conference schedule as they return home for just the third time this year for a single match against the Titans of Westminster. The contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start and can be seen on the PAC Network.